After defeating Gata Kamsky in the eight-game challenger match, Bulgarian
grandmaster Veselin Topalov once again found himself
preparing for a World Championship title match. The match took place in Sofia, Bulgaria from April 24 to May 13, 2010.
The title match was mostly following the format of Anand-Kramnik 2008 and Kramnik-Topalov 2006 in that 12 games would be played, with a series of successively
faster tiebreak rounds if needed. Topalov demanded that the match be played in silence, in the style of the "Sofia
Rules" which require draws to be mitigated by an arbiter.

Anand defends his title in enemy territory.

According to FIDE regulations, reigning champion Viswanathan Anand had the
right to refuse Sofia as a suitable location, as that would give Topalov the "home field" advantage. However, Anand
raised no objections. The match was delayed due to air travel disruptions caused by the eruption of the Icelandic
volcano Eyjafjallajokull, which offset the entire schedule by one day.[1]

The match was grueling and dynamic, with five decisive games, and some unexpected surprises in the openings. Topalov got
off to a great start, demolishing Anand's Grunfeld in the first game in only
30 moves. Anand struck back in game two demonstrating his mastery of the
Catalan opening, and in game four took the lead, but the ever-aggressive Topalov seemed to have a psychological edge
even while trailing. Tied 5.5 apiece, Anand chose the drawish Lasker Defense of the Queen's Gambit for the last game, and quickly equalized. In an effort to create winning chances,
Topalov captured the pawn offered by Anand. Topalov soon found himself defending against a sharp attack and lost,
thereby ending the match without the need for tiebreaks.

"Vishy" once again defended his title. In a post-match interview Anand mentioned that in addition to his normal team of
seconds, he also received help in preparation from Magnus Carlsen, Garry Kasparov and Vladimir Kramnik.

yalie: <chancho: Anatoly Karpov to stay in Sofia for two days when he arrives there on May 2>

ilyumzhinov cannot be happy about this. is Danailov trying to have the cake & eat it too? is there some discord between FIDE and the organizers (so Danailov is bringing in Karpov to get some leverage)?

Albertan: The poll I created at my blog to allow those of you who are following the World Chess Championship, to give your view on who would win the match, is now closed. Here are the final results of the poll:Who will win the 2010 World Chess Championship?

support anand: <yalie: <chancho: Anatoly Karpov to stay in Sofia for two days when he arrives there on May 2>

ilyumzhinov cannot be happy about this. is Danailov trying to have the cake & eat it too? is there some discord between FIDE and the organizers (so Danailov is bringing in Karpov to get some leverage)?>

I think the organizers are trying to play Karpov and Ilyumzhinov against each other, so that Ilyumzhinov support their decisions in the event of any dispute during the world championship match, in the hope of getting the Bulgarian support.

micartouse: <laskersteinitz> I think 12 games feels rushed, although I haven't objectively thought out rationale for an "optimal" number. 18 or 20 seems more fitting for an important match. 12 seems like the absolute minimum to keep it classy.

pinoy gramps: correct, i myself is a huge fan of anand but i think part of me admires topalov as well due to his fighting nature which brings exciting games. i don't know if topalov has any mongolian blood in him as i can remember genghis khan empire has stretched as far west reaching austria. if this is true then i'm sure iluzhinov himself has a brother in topalov.

1.Danailov is trying to upset Anand in various ways blaming him and his wife for everything.
2.Danailov is using this silence clause, to use the wearing Anand with long games strategy, hoping that Topalov will have more energy than Anand in later part of the match.
3.Sofia rules are not FIDE rules, but Danailov is using the oncoming FIDE election to make FIDE guys agree with him.When they dont heed, he is setting them up for trouble(Karpov visiting for 2 days)
4.Danailov is not worried about what the world says(If he was, he would have changed by this time). He would like to win by hook or crook.

I like Topalov for his attacking chess, but he is trying to act as a saint when he is not and it is clear that he has colluded with Danailov

Check It Out: <MaxxLange: As an average American, I can't find either India or Bulgaria on the map, and I don't really care if one or the other country wins. I simply demand free entertainment, which I am getting.>

HeMateMe: I know an exchange student from India, and although he doesn't play chess, he is following the match and can contribute to a conversation about it. He said that "a lot people don't like Danailov, and I don't like him either."

It occurred to me that maybe the most Indians following the match are the ones not living in India?

diceman: <laskersteinitz: This match couldn't be off to a better start. I look forward to seeing how it all unfolds.
I thought 12 games was a good number before the match started, and I still think it's an adequate number. Anybody out there who has changed their mind regarding the length of this match?>

12 seems way too short. Makes them seem like wimps.

I don't know how you say its off to a good start?
Anand looked like a club amateur in Game 1.
Topalov basically self destructed in Game 2.

Id like to see someone win a good game where the
other side puts up a good defensive effort.

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